Weiss Schnee and the Seven Sisters
by CynicalT
Summary: After a disaster at her family home, Weiss is forced to go into hiding where no-one would ever suspect... Jaune's house disclaimer: None of Jaune or Weiss's family have been introduced as of writing this so... please excuse if they turn out not to fit... (Edited to accommodate the RTX announcement about Winter Schnee)
1. Chapter 1

Weiss Schnee and the Seven Sisters

Summer. A time of fun and relaxation, of bright skies and beach holidays. A time for meeting up with friends and just generally having good times. However, there are some who are not so lucky as to have this luxury. For Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company and student at Beacon Academy, summer was a time of education and hard work. Much like the rest of her life. Her time was taken up with furthering her education as far as it would go. Her days were filled with endless hours of business, economics, engineering and marketing, all in preparation for the big day when her father would step down from his position as head of the SDC and she would take over, running the multinational as it had been run for generations. She hated every second of it.

Of course, she still excelled at it, as she did with everything she turned her hand to, but that didn't make it any more interesting or enjoyable. The dreary hours slid by as if dragging a tonne of bricks through treacle as the hot sun filtered in through the window of her one-to-one classroom. Her tutor continued to drone on about some piece of heavy machinery that was frequently used in her father's mines. She desperately tried to remain bolt upright, her eyes fixed and her face giving the illusion of wakefulness, but her attention was totally lost to him. Her mind kept wandering back to the conversation she had had during her uncharacteristically late night the day before.

Her friends had called. Yang and Ruby had sent her a message via her private scroll at some ungodly hour and she had replied to find that Blake was staying with them. They had stayed up deep into the early hours, talking, gossiping, joking and just generally having more fun than Weiss had had in the two weeks since their first year at Beacon had ended. She really missed them. Ruby had said that they were going to have dinner at a restaurant and see a movie, some thriller starring Spruce Willis, and had asked if she wanted to join them, however due to her unforgiving regimen of classes, she sadly did not have the time to make the trip out to Patch.

"Ms Schnee, I see you haven't taken any notes regarding the pressure ratio in the hydraulic tunnel bore."

"wha-? OH! Sorry, please could you repeat that" she replied, but all she could think was _this lesson is a bore._ She smiled to herself at the joke. _Yang would be proud,_ she thought.

"Perhaps it would be better if we continued this, rather important, aspect of mechanics when you are… a little more focussed. We shall return to this topic in one hour. May I recommend some fresh air and a glass of cold water." The old man opened up his briefcase and withdrew some mathematical formulae that she had completed for him the day before. Taking the hint, Weiss left the room.

As the door closed behind her, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. A broad grin spread across her face as she walked down the lengthy corridor that lead to the entrance hall of the large house. She quickened her pace, pulling loose her tight ponytail as she made for the doors. she could already taste the crisp air, feel the bright rays of the sun caressing her face. But she stopped as she passed the door to her father's study. Raised voices drifted through the heavy oak and, although the words themselves were indecipherable, the meaning behind them was clear. Something had happened, maybe a shipment robbery, maybe another attack on a mining base. Whatever it was, it had put her father in another foul mood and she decided that it would be best if she were to make herself scarce.

Moving past the door, she made her way over to the grand entrance hall to their home and opened the doors. The outside was everything she had hoped that it would be and she set off at a run, sprinting across the gravel road and onto the extensive lawn that stretched out away from the house like a mantle of uniform emerald. She couldn't help but laugh as life flooded back into her limbs and her heart filled with joy at the freedom of just being able to run.

"Weiss!" the booming voice echoed across the lawn, bringing her to a stop and instantly dissipating the bliss that had filled her a moment before. She turned to see her father, standing tall at the top of the steps at the edge of the grass. His face was locked in a severe frown that darkened his features and the tone of his voice said that it would be best if she obeyed. "Stop making a fool of yourself and come inside. You should be studying."

"Yes father." She said, knowing full well that any objections or protestations would be shot down and ignored. Her gaze fell to the ground as she began the long walk back up to the house. _Why?_ She thought. W _hy can't I run? Who is watching that I could embarrass myself in front of? Anyway, what's to be embarrassed about?_ She raised her head to see her father turn and move back towards the house.

She was blinded by a flash. A second later she was thrown to the ground by a shockwave that deafened her with a thunderous roar. Rolling over and picking herself up, staggering slightly as she regained her balance, she saw that the façade of her home had been destroyed. The windows were blown out and fires smouldered in small clusters. She saw the prone figure of her father lying, unmoving, at the bottom of the stone steps. She screamed and ran towards him, rolling him onto his back and assessing the damage. His suit was torn and burned, as were patches of his skin. He bled from a hundred miniscule cuts and lacerations and a large wound in his forehead ran slowly down the side of his face. His leg was twisted at a funny angle and a large splinter of wood, projected from a wound in his chest.

Identifying this as the most terminal of his injuries, she began applying pressure to the wound in an effort to stop the bleeding. She heard distant, cries and yells as the perimeter guards rushed to emergency procedures a hand grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away from the house and her father as the feint sound of whining sirens drifted over the crackling of fire.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The wardroom was quiet. Doctors and nurses went about their business quickly and efficiently. The room was well lit and a breeze drifted in through the open window at the end of the room. A slow, muted beep came from the machine that stood solemnly beside the bed, a soft pulse that brought a certain reality to the dreamlike state that Weiss found herself in. in the bed lay her father, swathed in bandages, a saline drip in his hand and electrodes attached to his head and chest. He lived on, but only just.

She turned as she heard someone enter the room. A tall woman in a white lab coat hummed a tune as she walked over to the other side of the bed, a holographic keyboard held in her hand. She was possibly in her mid-twenties, soft of features and shockingly blonde. She smiled pleasantly at Weiss, as she went over to the stack of machinery and began noting things on her screen.

"What are you doing?" Weiss asked.

"Just making note of a few things; heart rate, blood pressure. Things like that. When was the last time he woke up?"

"About an hour ago."

"And was he lucid?"

"Yes."

"Your father is doing very well Ms Schnee. We may have to keep him in for a couple more weeks just to be sure, but he's recovering at a reasonable speed."

"Thank you." She said as the man on the bed groaned and shifted. Weiss looked down at her father as he attempted to sit up on his pillows. The doctor placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke softly.

"Take it easy sir, your ribs haven't set properly yet."

"No. I need to speak to my daughter." He wheezed, all previous strength drained from his voice, yet a note of authority still remained, giving the Doctor pause for thought. She tried to help him sit up straight but he dismissed her with a wave of his hand. She went and stood in the corner, her tablet held across her abdomen He looked Weiss up and down briefly, before asking "are you injured?"

"No, father." She replied, her voice shaky.

"Good. This attack is unprecedented. Our home is no longer safe."

"Attack? Everyone told me it was a gas main."

"A lie. A lie we are telling to the press to make them think that the White Fang aren't as powerful as they are." He coughed, grimacing in pain as his cracked bones rubbed together. The Doctor took a step forwards but he waved her off, continuing to speak once more "Because our home was attacked, we have to assume that all our other properties are under similar threat. You are my daughter and you must be kept safe, so I am sending you away."

"What!? No, father. I'm staying here. You can't do-" he held up a hand and silenced her protestations.

"Weiss, you know that this needs to happen. I am sending you to the home of an old colleague of mine. He will keep you safe until I can sort this out."

"Father please!"

"Be silent. This is important. Your mother and Sister are already secure in safe houses. Once I know that all of you are safe I will be able to concentrate on getting to the bottom of this. Please don't make this any harder than it already is."

"Yes father." She swallowed. "Who will I be going with?"

"An old friend of mine. He lives in an isolated part of the world. Distant from any major population centres. He is an experienced huntsman and he has agreed to protect you for as long as this takes." He raised his voice just enough so that the bodyguard at the door could hear, "Domovoi, please tell David that he can come in now." The giant security officer entered accompanied by a broad-shouldered man with a mane of silver-gold hair and a wide smile. He held out his hand to her.

"Hello Weiss. I'm David Arc. I believe you know my son." She took his hand, noticing his deep blue eyes and immediately noticing the resemblance to Jaune. Her eyes widened in surprise. She had never known that their fathers knew each other. Seeming to notice the revelation, her father spoke again.

"Mr Arc was the head of security at the Tidewater project a few years back. He is very capable and reliable. David, leave as soon as you can. Weiss, keep Myrtenaster to hand at all times. And be careful. We don't know who we can trust." Her father lay back on his pillows and sighed with relief as she was lead out of the door by Jaune's father.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jaune's father led her out of the wardroom and down the hallways of the hospital, pulling her into a side room and giving her his backpack. "Clothes. Put them on and be quick about it."

"Why?"

"If they're watching the building then they'll see you with me and all of this misdirection will be for nothing. Now be quick." He stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. She unzipped the bag, drawing out trainers, a hoodie, fitted jeans and a t-shirt plastered with the six guys that Yang had on that obnoxious poster she always hung in their dorm room. She hurriedly slipped out of her dress and pulled on the jeans. They were tight, but sufficient, as was the t-shirt. The black hoodie was loose and baggy. She recognised it as the one Jaune frequently wore. Exchanging her heels for the more practical shoes, she stuffed all of her clothing back into the bag and opened the door. The older man crammed a cap onto her and pulled the hood over her head.

"If anyone asks, you are my sulky teenage daughter. We have been visiting your grandmother upstairs, who has fallen and broken her hip." They continued walking along the corridors, not speaking, Weiss sullenly looking down to the floor. Eventually she heard the hiss of automatic doors opening and she looked up to find them outside. Before her was a non-descript, sliver four door car with darkened windows. He opened the passenger seat and she got in. when she wondered why he hadn't closed the door she looked out to see the doctor from earlier running towards them. Her hand drifted to her weapon, but her worries were for nought as the woman enveloped Jaune's father in a hug.

"Steven and I might stop by tomorrow. Anything you want us to bring?" she said.

"Just the basics. Thanks, Joules."

"Okay, be safe dad." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and smiling at her again before running back to the hospital, waving at them. Jaune's father got into the driver's seat and started the engine.

"That's my eldest, Julia. As you've probably guessed, she works here. She and her fiancée, Steven might come by and visit tomorrow." He said as they pulled away from the tall, blocky building. "I'm sorry about all that, but you can never tell who might be watching. Now that we're in here though, how are you doing?"

"Well," she said, pulling off the cap. "My father is in hospital, the rest of my family is in hiding and I have to be constantly watching my back in case anything else around me blows up."

"You're not wrong. But how are YOU doing?" he emphasised. She sighed.

"I don't know. I'm scared. If they got to us at our home then I no longer know where is safe. I'm worried about my father. They say he'll be alright but how can they be sure? What if the White Fang try again? What if they find Winter and my mother? If they can get to me in my home, then can they get to my friends and family?"

"Would it put you at ease if I told you that your mom and sis have a team of security officers as well as an experienced Huntress protecting them morning, noon and night, not to mention Winter's own proficiency?"

"Not really."

"Fair enough." There was a long silence, during which Weiss stared out of the window as the city disappeared and was taken over by green countryside. "Sorry about the clothing, I had to guess which of my daughters was closest to your size." He said, noticing her occasional fidgeting.

"No, its fine. How many daughters do you have?"

"Seven, if you can believe It." he replied, smiling happily. "Seven and Jaune. Julia is my eldest. She works at the hospital and lives in the city with her fiancée, Steven. They'll be stopping by tomorrow to drop off some stuff. You'll meet the rest soon."

"How exactly do you know my father?"

"I used to be a huntsman, trained at Beacon, but I got out of the game when I started a family. Now I work as a freelance security consultant. Your father hired me to help at one of his mines a few years ago. I presume he thinks I did a good job as he still calls me up from time to time." The car turned down a side road, rough and worn, that lead into a small village next to a forest. She gazed out the darkened window as the buildings passed by. A pub, a convenience store, a street of brick houses, flowers tastefully arranged in the window pots. They passed a rail station and a post office, following the road out of town and towards the woods.

The road soon began degrading, blending smoothly into a dirt track. Trees, shrubs and other plant life drifted by. Weiss's mind drifted along with them. Would she be able to talk to her friends and family? _How long will I be here? I don't even know where in the world we are._ The forest opened up into a clearing, revealing a large square house. A barnlike building stood off to the right of the house, and under the eaves of the front door stood a tall, scraggly boy with a shock of blonde hair. He waved as the car pulled up to the door, jogging over to them as they got out.

"Hey Weiss," he smiled, "welcome to my home. What do you think?" his positive attitude was disarming and she smiled back. "Come on," he continued "let me show you around."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Over there is the tool shed slash garage." He said, gesturing over to the barn. "Dad keeps most of his tools and stuff out there. If you ever need to build or fix anything, he's probably got the kit to do It." they walked up to the wooden front door and he pushed it open. A small front room greeted them. Boots and shoes were strewn in untidy piles and coats and jackets were hung on strained and bending hooks. "Sorry about the mess. Trying to organise a clean-up here is pretty much impossible." A high-pitched voice came from inside.

"Jaune? Is she here?" a short girl, possibly a couple of years younger than Weiss, ran in. she had waste length blonde hair pulled out of her eyes by a bright red hair band and similar bright and open features to her brother. Weiss was starkly reminded of Ruby as the girl jumped into her brothers arms. The girl turned and looked at Weiss, gasping as she said "Oh. My. GOD! She's even MORE PRETTY than you SAID!" she squealed and ran over to her. "You must be Weiss. Can you really sing as well as Jaune says? I LOVE singing. I'm probably not as good as you though. I only really sing in the shower. Oh but that was probably too much information." Weiss turned to Jaune.

"You told them about my singing?"

"Oh Jaune's told us all about you." She grinned. His face reddened and he stepped between them.

"Chill out, Fliss. Quit being so embarrassing" he whispered. Clearing his throat and turning back to Weiss, he said "Weiss, this is my sister, Felicity. Fliss, this is Weiss Schnee." The little girl stretched out her hand, beaming at Weiss.

"A pleasure to meet you." She said, taking the hand and giving it a gentle shake.

"You too. I can tell already that we're going to be great friends. You HAVE to tell me AAAAALLLL the funny Beacon stories about Jaune. I've been running out of ammunition lately and I was REALLY hoping that his crush-"

"That's enough, Fliss." Jaune interrupted, his cheeks a bright scarlet. He hurried his little sister out of the room saying "shut up. You're embarrassing me. Haven't you got trash TV to watch?"

"But Jaaaauuune."

"Just give her five minutes to settle in first. Then you can verbally assault her as much as you want." _What? He intends to give me up to this psychopath?_ She thought. _Oh well, maybe this would be a good opportunity to get back at him for all the times he embarrassed ME by asking me out._

"Sorry about that" Jaune continued. "Fliss can be a little… overexcited."

"She's like the worst parts of Ruby and Nora combined. No offence."

"None taken. I would totally agree." He grinned. Come on, let's get you settled in before she comes back." he led her through the inner door and into the house.

The house itself was square in floor plan. To her right as she went in, was a dining room with a large table and mismatched chairs. To her left, a lounge with a couple of faded, yet plush couches. Directly in front of them was a narrow staircase with a flimsy looking wooden banister that wound up the building for another three floors. Jaune hefted her bag and started up the stairs.

"Come on. You're on the third floor." He said, bounding up the stairs, two at a time. She followed at a more sedate pace. Taking in the spectacle of the chaotic house. It was the antithesis of her father's estate; bustling, messy, cramped and above all, it felt like a home. It was very reminiscent of RWBY's dorm room back at Beacon, with the overfilled shelves and the makeshift bunk beds that were beyond unsafe. Weiss instantly loved it. She followed Jaune onto the landing and along a back corridor, ending up outside a dark red door inscribed with the letters J.M.A.

"It's my room." He said, almost apologetically. "It has an en suite as we thought you might like your privacy. I mean it's bad enough that you have to be here at all, but you might as well be comfortable for as long as you are." He opened the door and walked in. she followed. It wasn't large, but nor was it cramped. A couple of posters hung from the walls, a shelf with a few statuettes and other ornaments on one. A bookcase with neatly ordered books and comics stood opposite the foot of the single man bed, beside the open door to a white-tiled room furnished with a standalone shower, sink and toilet. All in all the set up was quite homely. Jaune hefted her bag onto the bed and turned back to her.

"It's not much," he said, "but it's home." He gave her another shy smile. She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. She was touched by the thought that had gone into this, _but he doesn't need to know that_. Jaune took it as a cue to leave and he suddenly moved towards the door.

"I'll let you get settled in. I think mom's going to be serving dinner in about half an hour. Just… make yourself at home." He made for the door but was stopped as a woman rounded the corner. She was a little shorter than Jaune but had the same blonde hair. She wore a faded apron spattered with stains and burns over a simple dress and her jawline was very akin to that of the boy standing in front of her.

"Jaune dear, weren't you going to introduce the rest of us?" she said, smiling as he tried to stutter out a response. She took a step past him and Weiss held out her hand, respectfully bowing her head. Jaune's mother totally ignored the proffered extremity, enveloping her in a soft embrace. She smelled of a mix of floral perfume and cake mix.

"You poor dear. I can't imagine what you're going through right now. If there's every anything my husband or I can do for you just let me know. I'll do all I can to help." Weiss was shocked into paralysis by the sudden contact.

The woman pulled back, saying "I'm so sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Cynthia Arc and this is my youngest daughter, Sophia." She gestured to an as of yet unnoticed figure that stood, half-hidden behind the door frame. She was a little girl of possibly six. Weiss was immediately thrown back into her memories. Memories of when her father had brought her as a small child to the various gatherings and functions that he attended. Now that she was in full time education, she was not expected to attend as many, but the memories of being surrounded by tall, imposing strangers that loomed over her still made her anxious. Thoughts of her sister sprung to mind, and of how when her father's intimidating colleagues became too much, Winter would make excuses for them and sneak her away to a quiet room where she would tell Weiss jokes until she cheered up. How times change...

"Stranger" Sophia whispered.

"Oh don't be so bashful. Weiss is nice. Come on, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet." The little girl broke cover and ran over to her mother, clinging to her dress with one hand. Weiss crouched down so their eyes were level, smiling softly and trying to channel the comfort her sister had given her in those days.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Weiss. Pleased to meet you." Sophia leaned out from behind her mother's skirt and spoke, barely loud enough to hear.

"You too." She said and made a break for the door.

"I'm sorry about her. She is a bit… timid. I'll leave you to it and get back to my baking." Jaune's mother said, following her daughter out of the room. Weiss looked back to Jaune and raised her eyebrow once more.

"Is all of your family this… quirky?" she asked.

"hehe pretty much." He shuffled his feet awkwardly, before rushing into the bathroom suddenly. Weiss took a step forward, an unexpected spike of concern flickering in her. But her worries were for nought as he returned a second later, toothbrush in hand.

"Sorry about that. Forgot my…" he darted out of the room, an unmistakable red tinge to his face. Weiss sighed to herself. _This is going to be… interesting._


	5. Chapter 5

_**Wow guys. I feel like a real letdown right now. I haven't updated this story in months. between writers block and stuff going on in my life, I just haven't had the time to write. I should be back to an almost regular schedule now though. Sorry. Remember to drop a review if you feel like it. It's always appreciated. 3**_

Chapter 5

Having changed out of the ill-fitting borrowed clothing and into her dress, she made her way through the labyrinthine house back down to the ground floor. She got to the bottom of the staircase and stopped. _What am I supposed to do now?_ She thought. She looked around, searching for a hint and saw Jaune in the lounge, fluffing up some cushions on the couch. He flicked his head up as he heard her and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, just tidying up a bit. Dinner is just through there." he gestured behind her and she turned to see the dining room with the mismatched furniture. Felicity and David were laying the table along with another girl who was perfectly identical to the girl standing next to her, except for reddened, inflamed eyes and a very runny nose.

"Oh" Jaune continued, "you haven't met Emily yet. She's Felicity's twin and she has a serious case of hay fever around this time of year, so you might want to… keep your distance." As if to emphasis this point, the girl's wave of greeting was interrupted as she released a percussive sneeze that shook the rafters. She followed it up by producing a handkerchief the size of a table cloth and loudly blowing her nose. A voice from behind them, harsh and grumpy, made Weiss Jump.

"Oh for the love of all that's holy, Emily, please keep it to yourself." As Weiss turned around, she was surprised again. She had been expecting to see another blonde and beautiful face looking back at her, but was instead greeted by a sullen, thin-faced girl with her dark hair pulled up into an untidy bun. She was good looking, as were all of the Arc family, but her air of distain repulsed her. _Is this what it's like meeting me for the first time?_ Weiss extended her hand to shake but the older girl walked confidently up to Weiss and leant against the wall, ignoring her proffered extremity.

"You must be that rich chick that's staying here for a bit. I'm sorry you have to spend any time at all with this bunch of losers, but seeing as you are; I'm Natalie. I'm 21 years old. I find my family exceptionally annoying so I try to avoid them at all costs. After spending a week in this house, you'll start to see what I mean."

"I don't know how much Jaune has told you about Beacon, but I can deal with annoying. Your brother helped see to that." Weiss threw a pointed look over to Jaune as she said this. He quailed under the lance of icy terror, eliciting a chuckle from his sister.

"Oh god, I can't even imagine what it must've been like, having him constantly fawning over you like that." She laughed. "Weiss, right?" Weiss nodded her confirmation. "I think we're going to get on."

She went over to the table and pulled out a chair, leaning back on it and planting her feet on the table's surface, folding her hands behind her head. At this point, Cynthia Arc emerged from the kitchen, her arms piled with bowls. Felicity and Emily rushed forward, along with Jaune, to relieve her of her load and started to lay them out at each place at the table. Weiss took a step closer to their father.

"Is there anything…?" she began tentatively.

"Huh? Oh, no Weiss. You're our guest. You just take a seat and we'll sort this out." he smiled at her.

"Actually… I was hoping to talk to you. About this whole thing." As she said this, his face turned serious and he led her slowly out of the room, through to the lounge next door.

"Before you say anything, only Jaune, Joules, Cynthia and I know why you're here. I haven't told the others as of yet, and I'm not sure that I'm going to. No-one is even supposed to know you're here. Now, what was it you wanted to ask?" he said quietly. She hesitated to answer. Her mouth was dry and she could feel the fatigue of the past couple of days catching up with her. The shock and fear had worn off and now she was running on nothing but adrenaline and bad hospital coffee.

"My scroll was taken from me at the hospital. Is there any way I can contact my friends and family? Just to let them know I'm okay." At this he sighed. He swallowed and looked back up at her.

"I'm under strict instructions. No unsecured channels. We don't know how deep this runs, so we have to thoroughly check and secure every piece of technology we have, as well as have everyone we speak to about this vetted by your father beforehand. I'm going back into the city tomorrow to pick up your secure scroll so you can contact your family."

"And my friends? Ruby, Blake and Yang? They'll be worried. I just need to send them a message to make sure they don't tear apart the kingdom searching for me, if nothing else."

"It'll take a while, if ever. I'll talk to your father tomorrow and see what we can arrange." His face was stern but his eyes were apologetic. _It's a start at least, although getting my father's approval will prove a challenge._

"Come on," he continued, reforming his expression of bright positivity. "Let's have dinner and worry about this tomorrow."

Dinner consisted of a large batch of stew that Jaune's mother had been preparing for most of the day. It was simple, with the basics of meat and root vegetables, but it was warm and comforting. The family chatted on about local gossip, Jaune's father's 'current job' _(clearly a cover for his trips to see my father)_ and a brief discussion concerning the wakefulness of yet another sister, the nineteen-year-old Dora had been spending a lot of time out with her friends recently, resulting in her sleeping in very late in the day.

After her whole world was shaken to the core, having something as normal as a family meal was more than she could bear. She managed to stomach a couple of mouthfuls, lifting the steel spoon to her mouth in a shaking hand, before grinding to a halt. She gripped the cutlery in whitening knuckles and screwed her eyes shut, fighting the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. The weight of her fatigue, fear and anxiety was boiling over.

"Weiss?" it was Jaune, sitting across from her. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes" she stammered "just... not feeling well suddenly. Mrs Arc, May I be excused?" the woman gave her a concerned look and a nod.

"Of course dear. Shout if you need anything."

"Thank you." She got up and walked calmly out of the room. As soon as she was clear, she ran up to 'her' room and let the tears fall. She was so tired. She buried her face in Jaune's pillow and cried as the sun set through the trees and the moon rose high.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

She awoke suddenly, and was at first confused as to where she was. The ceiling was made from cracked and dry hardwood beams and the hot, salty smell of bacon was pervading the room. She sighed heavily as the memories of the past three days came flooding back. She mustered her will power, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling for a moment, sweeping her gaze over the old oak beams, taking in the twists, knots and cracks, stopping at an unnatural shape that caught her eye. It was a small carving, made by something sharp, like a blade. It took the form of the rough estimation of a snowflake, jagged and untidy. At its centre was carved the letter 'W'. Her eyes widened in surprise and she sat up, shaking her head. The thick-skulled idiot just couldn't take the hint, could he?

She stood up, stretching out her stiff back, and rubbing her eyes. She padded over to the en suite with the intent of having a shower to wake her up, knocking her leg on her untouched suitcase in her doze. As the hot water fell on her bare shoulders, her brain shifted into focus and she realised just how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten properly since the attack and the smell from the kitchen below wasn't helping. She quickly finished up and lifted her suitcase up onto the bed, flipping the latches and opening the lid. She withdrew the most basic clothes she could find and slipped into them, pulling her hair back into a tight ponytail.

Descending the stairs, she encountered Felicity and Emily leaving their shared room together. Felicity was the first to speak.

"Morning Weiss! Did you sleep well? I hope Jaune's room wasn't too bad. I bet it smells." Her sister cut her off.

"Calm down Fliss. Give the girl some space." She rolled her eyes and gave Weiss a knowing wink. "Smells like breakfast's ready. You hungry?"

"Starving."

"Great! Mums pancakes are… are…" she sneezed. "Ugh. Something else"

"I look forward to them." they proceeded into the kitchen, where Cynthia Arc stood with a pan in one hand and a plate in the other. She smoothly transferred the strips of bacon from pan to plate and placed the latter on the small round table in the centre of the room, where a rack of toast and a stack of pancakes already stood.

"Morning all," she said brightly, turning back to her pan and cracking an egg into it. "Just sit down wherever and help yourself, Weiss." Weiss nodded and seated herself in the chair facing the door. She cautiously removed a slice of toast from the rack and took a dainty bite of the corner, while Felicity and Emily each grabbed two pancakes, three slices of bacon and a slice of toast. Weiss's diet had always been a strict regime. Her father's chef had clear instructions to feed her the healthiest meals prepared from the finest ingredients, which never left much room for the likes of pancakes and bacon, so when the inevitable "Go on dear, you need to eat something" came, she want quite sure how to react. _It's not like I don't enjoy them,_ she thought. _It's just that I'm not used to them._ She hesitantly slid two strips of bacon onto her plate and took a cautious bite. Cynthia Arc's smile was as warm as the breakfast.

"There you go." She said as she walked over to the entrance behind Weiss. David was coming through the front door, a small bag slung over one shoulder. Weiss got up and followed as Cynthia gave him a kiss on the cheek and a quick squeeze.

"Hi everyone," he said. Opening his bag and picking out a few items. "Top up of milk, bread and eggs. Weiss, could I have a word." As the twins helped Cynthia with the groceries, David and Weiss moved through to the lounge, where a rumpled pillow and a scrunched up blanket lay on the couch. He reached into his bag one more time and withdrew a scroll. "Your father's security man gave me this. I've checked and it only has three numbers in it. One contact for your mother, one for you sister and one for your father. I've added my own secure contact as well." She immediately took it from him.

"Thank you. And… my friends?" she asked, feeling she already knew the answer. David winced, sighing as his shoulders sagged.

"The thing is, we know that the link would be secure at our end, but we don't know about theirs."

"Mr Arc-"

"Please call me David."

"Mr Arc. I trust my team mates with my life, as does your son. In fact we've both had to on several occasions. If you're insinuating that they can't be trusted with even the knowledge that I'm alive and well then you are grossly misinformed." She seethed through clenched teeth. He peered at her through one raised eyebrow, expression totally un-phased.

"Are you finished?" His gaze, stern but not angry, gave her pause for thought.

"Um-"

"It's not that I don't trust them. I know just how loyal they are, having met Yang and Ruby on several occasions. I'm not questioning them. What I am questioning is the security of their technology." His tone softened. "Weiss, we have no idea who your enemies even are. Right now, the leading suspicion is the White Fang, but we have no solid evidence to corroborate that. If they managed to get a bomb into your home, then they could hack your team mates Scrolls and trace you from there, maybe even send you bogus messages baiting you into a trap. Do you understand?"

"Yes… David." At this moment a floorboard creaked and she turned to see Jaune, in pale blue pyjamas yawning and stretching out one of his shoulders. At the sight of Weiss the yawn abruptly stopped and he glanced down at himself.

Appearing satisfied that he wasn't wearing that old onesie, he blinked a couple of times and sleepily said "Moring Weiss, morning Dad."

"Morning Jaune," David replied "breakfast's ready." Murmuring something that sounded like "thanks" Jaune wondered off in the direction of sustenance and David turned back to Weiss.

"And besides. It's not just you I have to protect."

 **Whew... Been a while, hasn't it guys. Sorry about the delay on chapter six. Between writers block, starting university and volume three (on a side note. wow, have things taken a turn or WHAT!), I haven't really had time to think, let alone write, so thanks for sticking with me :-). Hoping to get chapters up more frequently now that things are coming together.**

 **CynicalT OUT!**


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